


Observance

by somebodysangel



Series: Skyeyes and Ocean Eyes [2]
Category: Sea Patrol (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Nav is not subtle, Pre-Relationship, Swain Knows, celibacy pledge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-08-03 11:16:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16325171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somebodysangel/pseuds/somebodysangel
Summary: Swain observes Nav's treatment of ET in 2.01, and calls her on it. Set towards the end of 2.01





	Observance

They were all at the pub, celebrating both Charge’s survival and ET’s return to the ship. Buffer handed around the tequila shots, then raised them in a toast.

“To ET, saving Charge’s arse and proving he has more than charm in those veins,” he said, pointing his shot glass at the man in question.

“To ET!” everyone chorused, clinking glasses.

Swain downed his shot, and heard a soft huff beside him. He looked over to see Nav, shot glass still full, glaring at the rest of the group. She slowly lifted her glass and drank, the last one to return her glass to the table.

Normally, that would mean it was her turn for the round, but ET jumped in and declared it was his shout. Swain watched Nav as she thanked him; noting that her smile was not at all sincere. From the look on ET’s face, he had noticed as well.

After the second round of shots, everyone spread out a bit; Buffer and Charge began a game of pool, Spider chatted to a girl at the next table, while Bomber and ET watched and smirked at him. X asked Swain about Chloe, and they chatted for a few minutes.

When the conversation petered out, X went to the bar, and Swain looked around at his crewmates. ET was now playing pool with Charge, while Buffer and Bomber watched. A scoff from behind him made him pivot, to see Nav glaring at ET.

He moved over to her, and touched her arm to get her attention. Then flinched when she practically snarled and snatched it away, almost hitting him in the jaw. Her face softened when she saw who had touched her.

“Oh, I’m sorry Swain, I thought you were someone else.”

“Who? ET?”

Her lip curled, then she blinked and smoothed her features. If he hadn’t been watching so closely, he would have missed the initial reaction.

“Hey, do you want to talk? Outside?” he asked, indicating the balcony area, which was much less crowded than the main room they were in.

She glanced back at ET, then nodded and followed him outside.

“So what’s going on?” Swain opened, settling in a chair at a small table.

WIth a sigh, Nav dropped into the opposite chair, and took a swig of her beer. “Why would you think there’s something wrong?”

He raised an eyebrow, and looked pointedly at her sprawled posture, so unlike her usual straight back. She sat up under his gaze, then exhaled and flopped back down.

"You spend so much of your time overseeing the wellbeing of others, you never stop to think about who can help with what you're dealing with," he said softly, covering her hand on the table with his own.

For a minute they sat in silence, Nav determidly not looked at him, but staring out over the edge of the balcony. She didn’t move her hand out from under his, but neither did she move any other muscles.

“That’s been happening a bit lately, you not looking at people,” he commented. “A certain someone in particular.”

“He wasn’t supposed to be here!” Nav hissed, slamming her beer down on the table. “He wanted to get his dolphins, so he went for a submarine posting.”

“I heard Commander Marshall personally requested he come back to us.”

“There are dozens of Cairns postings, why couldn’t he have said no to this one?” Now she did move her hand out from under his, wrapping both arms around her waist as if hugging herself.

“It’s always easier to come back to a ship and crewmates you know.”

Her lip curled again. “Of course it’s  _ easier _ . But since when is the Navy the  _ easy _ option?”

“Nikki,” he used her given name to make sure she understood this was a friend talking, not a crewmate. “Why are you so upset about ET coming back to Hammersley?”

“Because it’s been eight months for me, too!” she grated out, and he blinked in surprise.

“It’s been eight months and he still came back?”

“Exactly!”

Swain shook his head in disbelief. “Wow. I would not have expected that of ET. But then, I never would have expected he’d last even six months.”

Finally, she smiled. “It was his idea.”

“He really cares about you, Nikki.”

The smile faded. “And now he thinks we can be discreet enough for no-one to find out.”

He laughed out loud, then stopped short when he saw the look Nav gave him. “Sorry. But he’s deluded if he thinks you can keep it a secret.”

She nodded in triumph. “That’s exactly what I said.”

“You didn’t exactly keep it a secret on the Fremantle, and I’m guessing that was before anything actually happened,” he pointed out, making her blush.

“I think you’re just exceptionally observant. And not much more has happened; he was crash sailed two days after our first official date.”

“I don’t want to know details,” he said, holding his palms in the air. “It’s not my business. But if you need my help, let me know.”

She grateful look she gave him said she knew exactly what he was offering; he would be a sounding board for her frustrations, or a cover if she chose to go ahead with it. “Thanks, Chris.”

He watched her go back inside, then exhaled softly. “Damn, ET, you are an idiot.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> From the looks Swain gives Nav/ET/Kate, it's clear he's very observant; it's my personal fanon that he Knows pretty much everything that happens on the ship, personal and otherwise. Particularly the whole Nav/ET relationship.


End file.
